Arched Fibulae (2 of 2)

Description

Dated to the time of King Midas, these fibulae may have been a matched pair. The type was popular and has been found throughout Anatolia and in Greece. In the 5th century BC the Greek historian Herodotus wrote that the Phrygian king Midas reigned in the late 8th century BC, and dedicated a throne to the oracle at Delphi. This is the earliest historical reference to the Phrygians, a name given them by the ancient Greeks. The passage in Herodotus, taken together with archaeological finds in the Ionian Greek city states and on the Greek mainland, shows that Phrygians and Greeks enjoyed close relations in the late 8th to early 7th century BC.

Provenance

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Arched Fibulae (2 of 2)

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725–675 BCE

Accession Number

1999.87.2

Medium

bronze

Dimensions

Overall: 6 x 7.5 cm (2 3/8 x 2 15/16 in.)

Classification

Metalwork

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund